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1980 Moradabad riots: Probe report gives BJP a ‘tool’ to target Congress, other opposition parties
The Congress was in power in 1980 in U.P. and the report brings into focus how the vote bank politics and appeasement of Muslims was done to influence elections.
The one-man inquiry commission report that the Yogi government tabled in the state legislative assembly on Tuesday about the 1980 Moradabad riots appears to have given a tool to the BJP to target the Opposition, including the Congress that has been accused of using Muslims as vote bank over the years.
The Congress was in power in 1980 in U.P. and the report brings into focus how the vote bank politics and appeasement of Muslims was done to influence elections.
“Muslim population in India has gone up. They (Muslims) have begun taking themselves as vote bank for purpose of elections. If Muslims are given incentives for treating them a commodity for trade in the elections, the outcome is bound to be inauspicious. One of the main reasons for this incident was using Muslims to serve their interests by Muslim leaders,” observes the one-man inquiry commission led by justice (retired) MP Saxena.
About the Muslims being treated as vote bank, the commission has suggested, “The tendency of treating the Muslims as the vote bank should be discouraged. If they are treated as a commodity for trading during the elections, the results would be harmful.”
Referring to the divide and rule policy during the British rule in India, the commission observed that this policy had deeply divided the two communities (Hindus and Muslims). Lack of faith between the Hindus and the Muslims helped in making mountain of a molehill, observed the commission.
The commission though has given a clean chit to the officers of local administration namely the then DM SP Arya and SSP VN Singh. There are observations, though not conclusive, that question the influence of Muslims in the functioning of the Congress government. Under subhead “Government policy to appease the Muslims” the commission has observed that the state government has been pursuing the policy of Muslim appeasement.
This has created a separate group of Indian Muslims and the Muslims have understood the weakness of Indian politics. At another point, a reference about the transfer of officers after a short tenure has been made. It points out that the transfer of officers could be done following demand by some Muslims and the state government may appoint a new district magistrate every month.
It notes that in Moradabad, eight district magistrates and many district police chiefs were transferred in 12 months and the administration was left on the mercy of Muslim community. It specifically makes a mention about transfer of district magistrate Moradabad SP Arya who was transferred 13 days after his posting in the district.
“The Congress has had Muslim vote bank. The Congress government did not make the report public because it did not apparently want to portray Muslims in bad light. The BJP is also making attempts to polarise the Hindu votes and malign the image of Muslims. What is the point in tabling the report of Moradabad riots after 43 years. This is the time that all the political parties work for communal harmony and brotherhood,” said Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of department, political science, Lucknow University when asked to comment.
